21. Mickey's Starland replaces Mickey's Birthdayland (1990)
Image: Disney
With the celebrations of Mickey's 60th birthday over, Mickey's Birthdayland remains in place but is renamed as Mickey's Starland.
22. Splash Mountain construction (1991)
Image: Disney
With Disney's theme parks enjoying a major spending spree, construction work takes place on a clone of Disneyland's Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom.
23. Splash Mountain opens at the Magic Kingdom (1992)
The first guests begin to ride Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom during a soft opening in July 1992.
24. The Legend of the Lion King debuts (1994)
With animated movie The Lion King proving to be a smash hit, a musical version of the story debuts at the Magic Kingdom, replacing the outgoing Magic Journeys.
25. From Time to Time opens in Tomorrowland (1994)
Disneyland Paris is proving to be a financial disaster following its 1992 debut, but that doesn't stop Walt Disney World from importing a version of one of its attractions. The Timekeeper is renamed as From Time to Time, and is a 360-degree movie that also employs audio-animatronics.
26. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter opens in Tomorrowland (1995)
Championed by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, the infamous ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter is designed to be one of the scariest Disney attractions ever built. It opens for previews in 1994, but is retooled after Eisner claims it isn't intense enough. The official opening comes in June 1995.
27. The birthday cake castle (1996)
Cinderella Castle is transformed into a 185-foot-tall cake as the centerpiece of the resort's 25th anniversary celebrations. The "cake" is estimated to weigh 40 million pounds. 55,040 tablespoons of pink paint in three different shades are employed to create it, and it features 50 gumballs, 30 lollipops, 4 lifesavers, 16 red candy hearts and 16 green candy stars.
28. Mickey's Toontown Fair opens
Image: DisneyAfter an extensive refurbishments, the former Mickey's Starland area reopens at Mickey's Toontown. It is described as the "holiday home" for the characters, who reside in Disneyland's Mickey's Toontown.
29. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin opens (1998)
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin replaces Take Flight at the Magic Kingdom, becoming the first of a number of Toy Story-themed shooters at Disney parks around the world.
30. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh opens (1999)
Despite protests from some fans, Mr Toad's Wild Ride in Fantasyland is replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Comments
What a great article! I was 7 when Walt Disney World first opened and I was there and have been back numerous times since. Thank you for taking us on a journey through time and some of the changes that have taken place since the beginning. The ending of your presentation however ended a bit underwhelming but great job on the story and pictures!
Great to see those photos, but it's painfull to see that they stopped building new rides in the 2000s (except for fantasyland expansion) but still choosed to raise their prices this much.
Very cool. Thanks!